Automotive asset location management systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for tracking and managing location information for automobile assets. By affixing passive transmitter tags with unique identification information to automobile assets, location information may be associated with designated areas and/or location information by scanning the passive transmitter tags at various scan points. The location and automobile asset information may be stored, read, and updated in a centralized cloud database platform, accessible at varying levels to suppliers, manufacturers, shippers, and others.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present patent application claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/685,484, filed Jun. 15, 2018, and entitled“Automotive Parts Logistics Management Systems with Reusable RFIDContainers”; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/672,661, filed May 17,2018, and entitled “Automotive Supply Chain Data Ecosystem”; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/950,454, filed Apr. 11, 2018, and entitled“Geolocation Specific Asset Tracking with Transmitters”, which in turnclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/485,236, filedApr. 13, 2017, and entitled “Geolocation Specific Asset Tracking withTransmitters”; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/559,016, filedSep. 15, 2017, and entitled “RFID Tag Asset Location and TrackingSystems and Methods”, the entire disclosures of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to automotive asset managementand supply chain logistics. More specifically, the present disclosurerelates to systems and methods for locating, tracking, and managing awide variety of manufactured goods, such as automotive assets, vehicles,automotive parts, containers, and the like, using passive transmittertags that may be scanned by stationary and/or mobile scanning devices,associated with asset and location information, and updated in acentralized platform.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Independent solutions and differing requirements have driven up thedevelopment costs of stand-alone supply chains, eliminated the potentialbenefits of coordinated development, and created confusion for commonbusiness partners trying to serve original equipment manufacturers(OEMs) with different technologies addressing varied requirements.

For example, in conventional automobile manufacturing facilities storinghundreds or even thousands of automotive assets on storage lots,transportation personnel (e.g., truck drivers and/or train workers) maybe merely given the make, model, color, and VIN of the car or truck tobe picked up and shipped. However, these storage lots on the grounds ofmanufacturing facilities can be very large. Thus, in a rush to starthauling their assigned shipment, transporters will pick up a car ortruck that is a similar make, model, and color, but have the incorrectVIN because they want to get on the road/rail to be paid as quickly aspossible. These errors may add huge time costs into managing theinventory and correcting resulting issues.

Previous shipyard management systems utilize location databases andmapped out facilities for processing shipping container pick-ups anddrop-offs. However, these shipyard systems are limited to cargocontainers that may not be moved without the assistance of a crane ortruck. Thus, manual entry of location updates for any particularshipping container is built-in to the process flow based on the plannedand tracked operations of the vehicles equipped to move the shippingcontainers.

Prior warehouse logistics systems use radio frequency identification(RFID) tags on crates, packages, and/or pallets to track inventorywithin a building facility. However, these indoor facilities are forsmaller assets and often utilize precise shelving arrangements andcataloguing systems to track the movement of goods around the warehouse.Moreover, warehouse facilities do not often have to deal with externaltransporters or carriers coming within the warehouse stocked inventorythemselves to pick-up assigned items to be shipped.

Issues continue to exist with manufacturing facilities that store largeinventories of similar looking manufactured items and/or automotiveassets, such as cars and trucks, on facility grounds with vast outdoorstorage lots. Therefore, systems and methods are still needed to providethe above solutions and more information about automotive assets withoutadding to costs, such that the assets may be better tracked and managed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure addresses the issues associated with logisticsmanagement of automotive assets within and throughout various facilitiesand their storage lots.

In general, all suppliers and OEMs order, ship, receive, pack, andconsume parts, as well as process assets and containers at theirfacilities. This commonality may be used to standardize supply-chainmethodologies and to allow for automated information management andselective data sharing. All businesses desire simplicity andcommonality, including speed to implementation, low cost, enhancedbreadth and depth, and adherence to supply constraints. Implementing asupply-chain visibility model that standardizes management points andprovides transparency related to supplier and/or manufacturer inventorywould be advantageous. These models and systems may include manual datainteraction and/or automated data recordation using passive transmittertags, for example. A common integration and analytics platform may beprovided to manage and provide asset data. The platform may leveragepassive transmitter tag scanning portals and handheld scanning devices,thereby providing a 99.9% data collection tolerance. Passive transmittertags may include enhanced encoding ability and versatility forcorrelating data to associated assets (such as packing, parts, andproducts).

In various exemplary embodiments, the present description disclosesautomotive asset location management systems that aggregate, compile,and provide visibility of supply-chain data acquired from sensortechnology. The systems may be used by participating entities authorizedby the participants and their agents, acquired through commonsupply-chain capture points. Readable data used by the logisticsmanagement system may include real time locations, velocities, andanalytical statistics associated with the movement of automotive assets,reusable RFID containers, parts, and/or other supply-chain supportcomponents, for example.

The automotive asset location management system may allow for end-to-endvisibility through the data collection and authorized sharing. Further,the logistics management system may allow participation of tieredsuppliers in supply-chain visibility. A data ecosystem governancecommittee may select and apply various participation methodologies, forexample. Aggregate data may be available in a common database platformextensible to the logistics management system participants. This isprovided through a reduced-cost cloud-based integration and analyticsplatform to address issues and provide commonality to a mass-collectiveof OEMs and suppliers.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods that utilize passivetransmitter tags in combination with both low-power and high-power fixedand handheld scanning devices in communication with a cloud serverdatabase. The systems may acquire, track, and report automotive assetlocation specific to the manufacturing plant yard (i.e., the inventory),as well as production milestone events.

Users of the system may be able to see automotive asset locationinformation and produce reports via software provided by the systemdeveloper. Additionally, integration may be required to pass automotiveasset information and location data, including, for example, the VehicleIdentification Number (VIN) for an automobile and current geolocation tothe manufacturer's current (i.e., legacy) tracking system.

In some embodiments, a logistics management system may include acquiringdata from a plurality of assets including a plurality of tags at aplurality of stationary portals or mobile device locations, wherein thedata is acquired at a secured local layer; transmitting the acquireddata to a remote integration and analytics platform residing in a cloudnetwork; applying analytics to the acquired and transmitted data at theremote integration and analytics platform; and selectively grantingtiered access to the acquired and transmitted data and the appliedanalytics to one or more participants comprising one or more originalequipment manufacturers, suppliers, and authorized parties, wherein theaccess is selectively granted at a secured application layer that isseparate and distinct from the secured local layer; wherein one or moreof the above steps conform to one or more predetermined standards.

Improved supply chain methodologies, such as those disclosed herein,provide numerous benefits and opportunities. For example, a commondatabase platform may improve information flows between OEMs andsuppliers. Having data concentrated in one updatable cloud storage pointmay lead to better management of automotive assets, containers, andassociated materials, such as lids, pallets, packaging, and dunnage.Optimizing timing of pick-ups, delivery, and transport may lower costsassociated with assets and reusable containers by minimizing costs ofordering, moving, and unexpected events, as well as eliminatingexpendable supplementary assets and containers. Further advantages mayinclude eliminating costs associated with the status quo; improving OEMand supplier visibility when returning assets and/or containers;reducing expendable usage; avoiding and tracking quality issues;positioning the right assets and/or containers in the right quantitieswhere and when they are needed; proactively managing asset inventory,shared dwell time, velocity, and fleet utilization analytics; avoidingunplanned or buried costs; benefiting large processes inside supplierfacilities when asset and/or container inventory is inaccurate; removingthe need for manual hunting for assets and/or containers; improvingrepair processes and tracking; creating pooled fleets; verifying fleetpurchases and production readiness; cutting off amortization inpiece/unit price; adding visibility to the repositioning of assetsand/or containers; eliminating paying for the same assets and/orcontainers twice; reducing return centers and handling via fewercontainers; flagging potential returns issues before they become aproblem; improving the labor in the last mile; improving corrugate andother materials handling (e.g., wood pallet recycling, warehousestacking efficiency); minimizing inventory loss; maximizing logisticsefficiency (e.g., expediting returns and inbounds, better utilizing losttrailers); recapturing missed commercial cost reductions; optimizingfleet size; and improving cost of capital.

Thus, automotive assets logistics management systems of the presentdisclosure would be valuable among packaging, parts, tools, trailers,finished goods, and any other assets of value. Automotive assets withpassive transmitter tags may minimize the time costs of reading andrecording data as well as eliminate human error in misreading ormistyping data at different locales. Logistics management systems mayprovide visibility and control, thereby allowing mass collaborationbetween OEMs, suppliers, and their authorized logistics partners toharmoniously manage said assets moving through their supply chains.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The presently disclosed systems and methods illustrated and describedherein with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating automotive assets withpassive transmitter tags moving around designated areas of an examplefacility compound equipped with scanning devices in communication with alocation management system, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example method of using adevice to assign and upload location information to designated areas, inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating example designated areasassigned within a facility compound, in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example passivetransmitter tag being affixed and associated with an automotive assetusing a handheld scanner in communication with a location managementsystem, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example map displaying thelocation information of a selected automotive asset on a device incommunication with a location management system, in accordance with thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating automotive assets movingbetween facilities equipped with scanning devices in communication witha location management system, in accordance with the present disclosure;and

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example table displayinginformation about a selected automotive asset on a device incommunication with a location management system, in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

In general, the automotive asset location management systems and methodsof the present disclosure advantageously utilize inexpensive passivetransmitter tags (e.g., radio frequency identification (RFID) tags),therefore requiring significantly less complex and costly tag readerand/or scanner equipment or infrastructure than conventional assetlocation and tracking systems and methods. Location information (e.g.,longitude, latitude, Global Positioning System (GPS) information) may beleveraged to accurately assign designated areas and associate thedesignated areas with an automotive asset. The location information maybe assigned to designated areas by exploiting extensive survey data. Theimplementation of the systems and methods of the present disclosure isflexible and may inherently provide velocity metrics, highlighting howquickly an automotive asset moves through a facility. The locationmanagement system may automate and reduce the amount of time currentlyspent determining and managing the location of automotive assets,vehicles, automotive parts, containers, and the like. Milestone eventsmay be captured and saved within the automotive asset locationmanagement system with no human involvement. Automotive asset data maybe searched and displayed through a simple user interface.

The tracking of assets is a critical aspect of inventory management. Asshown in FIG. 1 , a facility compound or grounds 100 may include variousregions, areas, buildings, etc., throughout which automotive assets 102may be moved and/or stored. The facility compound 100 may includeautomotive manufacturing facilities, for example, in which newlymanufactured vehicles or other automotive assets 102 may be stored on astorage lot (e.g., Lot A 118) or other designated area, such as a repairlot 114. From a designated area, such as Lot D 126, a truck driver mayload an automotive asset 102 (e.g., a newly manufactured car or truck)onto a trailer for delivery to an automotive dealership or otherexternal facility. As another example, a train worker may load anautomotive asset 102 onto a train for later delivery elsewhere. Thetruck drivers and train workers may be working within tighttransportation deadlines, so it is in their interest to pick up theautomotive assets 102 as quickly as possible. The particular automotiveassets 102 assigned to the transporter for pick-up may be located withina designated area, such as Lot C 124, near the train tracks. Theidentification information (e.g., make, model, color, and VehicleIdentification Number (VIN)) of the automotive assets 102 as well astheir location information may be provided to the assigned transporterto facilitate a quick pick up with minimized error.

Rather than adding further manual steps to the logistics managementprocess, the asset management system of the present disclosure mayinclude tagging the automotive assets 102 with passive transmitter tags.These tagged automotive assets 102 may then be automatically tracked asthey are moved around the facility compound 100 by fixed transceivers orscanning devices 104. These scanning devices 104 may be positionedaccording to the designated areas within the facility compound 100, suchthat as an automotive asset 102 moves past a scanning device 104, thesystem automatically updates the location information for the automotiveasset 102 to the designated area associated with that scanning device104. The scanning devices 104 may be standard RFID fixed portalsconsisting of one RFID reader and two proprietary antennas per portal.

Alternatively, handheld scanners 106 may be used to automatically scanautomotive assets 102 nearby. The location information of the handheldscanner 106 when a particular automotive asset 102 is scanned (i.e.,scan point) may be cross-referenced with a designated area and/or regionof the facility compound 100. For example, an automotive asset 102 inone of the designated areas 122 (e.g., B-65) within the designatedregion, Lot B 120, may be scanned by the handheld scanner 106. Thelocation information of the handheld scanner 106 at the scan point nearB-65 may be received by the system, which then associates the automotiveasset 102 with both the designated area 122, B-65, and the designatedregion, Lot B 120. The handheld scanners 106 may be RFID handheld ormobile devices. The system may acquire, track, and report vehicle (orother asset) location specific to a given designated region in thefacility compound 100, as well as production milestone events.

The entire facility compound 100 may be setup with designated regionsand/or areas associated with location information. As shown in FIG. 2 ,the handheld scanner 106 may be used to demarcate the perimeter of thedesignated regions and/or areas within the facility compound 100. Instep 1, the handheld scanner 106 is physically positioned over one pointof the perimeter of the designated region, Lot B 120, and the locationinformation is uploaded to the system, which may be stored on acloud-based server 108. The cloud server 108 may store a database, whichis part of the location management system. In step 2, the handheldscanners 106 (and/or another handheld scanner) is positioned overanother point along the perimeter of the designated region, Lot B 120,and the location information is again uploaded to the cloud 108 andassociated with the second point of the region's perimeter. In steps3-n, the third through nth points along the perimeter of the designatedregion are associated with the location information of the handheldscanner 106 uploaded to the cloud 108. The location information (e.g.,coordinates) of the n points associated with the designated region maybe extrapolated into a polygon or other shape and displayed on a mapcreated within the system. Further, the system may determine thelocation information of a virtual center point for a designated regionand/or area based on the location information of the perimeter points.Additionally, multiple designated areas 122 within the designated region120 may be similarly mapped out according to the location information ofpoints uploaded to the cloud 108. The location information may includethe latitude and/or longitude information for the point. Further, theelevation information for the point may be included as part of thelocation information. The elevation may be useful for storage lotsand/or facilities that include stacked and/or multiple levels of assets.Rather than using a handheld scanner 106 to map out the designatedareas, a drone or other automated device may be used to save thelocation information (e.g., latitude, longitude, elevation) of theselected points along the perimeter and/or virtual surface of thedesignated area. This collected location information may be saved to thedevice locally and later uploaded to a server 108.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the steps for setting up the designated regionsand/or areas of the facility compound 100 may be repeated as desired.For example, the designated areas within one facility compound 100 maynumber in the thousands. The mapped out designated regions and/or areasof the facility compound 100 may include buildings, such as amanufacturing plant 110 and/or a testing facility 112. The manufacturingplant 110 may be building or structuring typically having upstandingexterior facing sidewalls having opposed outer and inner surfacesdefining an interior space, for example. Within the interior space ofthe manufacturing plant 110 may be where a primary portion of theautomotive assets 102 are assembled or fabricated. The manufacturingplant 110 may be an automobile manufacturing facility, and the assets102 may be cars, trucks, or the like. The manufacturing plant 110 mayinclude at least one opening in the exterior sidewalls that is sized topermit the automotive assets 102 to enter and exit the manufacturingplant 110. The opening may be used to permit automotive assets 102 toleave the manufacturing plant 110 and be transported to exteriordesignated lots.

The facility compound 100 may include a storage lot 118, exterior to themanufacturing plant 110 for storing the automotive assets 102. Thesystem may incorporate a pathway extending between components of thesystem and relative terms such as upstream or downstream may be used forreference purposes to explain some components relative to others withrespect to movement of the automotive asset 102 along the pathway.

In some embodiments, the automotive assets 102 exiting the manufacturingplant 110 may travel along the pathway, which is may be referred to as a“leaving line.” The leaving line may pass through the opening in theexterior wall of the manufacturing plant 110. The pathway may be sizedto permit the automotive assets 102 to move therealong. Further, in someembodiments, the pathway may extend from the manufacturing plant 110 tothe exterior designated lots.

A region may be designated as a repair lot 114, where assets from theproduct stream that need to return to the plant 110 or other facilitymay be pulled and temporarily stored until re-introduced into theproduct stream. For example, if the automotive asset 102 is a container,it may be temporarily pulled from the product stream until a missingautomotive part that is supposed to be included within the order may besupplied to the container. Additionally, moving an automotive asset 102to the repair lot 114 may automatically update the status of theautomotive asset 102 within the location management system in the cloud108 and/or indicate that the asset 102 should not be shipped untilfurther notice.

Each designated region and/or area may include a scanning device 104associated with the location. The scanning device 104 associated with adesignated region and/or area may automatically update the locationinformation of a tagged automotive asset 102 in the cloud 108 as thetagged automotive asset 102 is moved near the scanning device 104. Adesignated region and/or area of the facility compound 100 may includemultiple scanning devices 104 associated with the designated regionand/or area. Each of the scanning devices 104 may be associated with anentrance and/or exit to the designated region and/or area. For example,when a tagged asset 102 comes within a predetermined distance from thescanning device 104 associated with the exit from the designated region,the location information of the asset 102 may be automatically updatedto “In Transit” or another status by the system. The fixed scanningdevice 104 may be built-in to a building within the facility compound100 and hard-wired to a power source and/or network hub.

Alternatively, the fixed scanning device 104 may be freestanding orsomewhat movable around the facility compound 100 with a remote powersource (e.g., battery, solar panel) and wireless networking capabilities(e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular).

The fixed scanning device 104 may be installed near the opening andproximate the leaving line or pathway. In some embodiments, the scanningdevice 104 may be positioned within the interior of the manufacturingplant 110 near the opening. In other embodiments, the scanning device104 may be positioned outside the manufacturing plant 110 near theopening. The operator may install fixed scanning devices 104 at variouslocations within or near the manufacturing plant 110, the repairfacilities, the overflow facilities, or other areas throughout thefacility compound 100. Alternatively, if retro-fitting the locationmanagement system of the present disclosure to an existing manufacturingfacility, the fixed scanning devices 104 may be connected to existinglegacy structures, thereby allowing them to draw power from existingpower networks. For example, the fixed scanning devices 104 may beconnected to existing lamp posts, light fixtures, lighted signs, garagedoors, or other items that could structurally support a fixed scanningdevice 104 and has an existing legacy power grid. In some embodiments,the fixed scanning devices 104 may be strategically placed to capturemilestone events, such as the completion of the manufacture, anoccurrence of repair, or the movement of the automotive asset 102 fromone location to another, as well as the geolocation of the automotiveasset 102 based on GPS-coordinates associated with the passivetransmitter tag 130.

In some embodiments wherein the facilities include stacked and/ormultilevel storage arrangements, the fixed scanning devices 104 may bebuilt-in or attached to the shelving, multilevel structures, and/orother stacked facility arrangements.

When a tagged asset 102 is scanned by a scanning device 104 and/orhandheld scanner 106 within the system, the time and date information aswell as the location information may be uploaded to the cloud 108. Inthis way, the last known scan point of the tagged asset 102 may becatalogued. Additionally, all of the location information and other datafor each automotive asset 102 may be tracked and stored according toblockchain methods, such that past data is never lost. In this way, themovement of multiple assets 102 over time may be tracked and comparedfor data analysis or forensics purposes, for example.

As shown in FIG. 4 , during or after the manufacturing or fabricationprocess, a passive transmitter tag 130 may be affixed to, installed, orotherwise connected to an automotive asset 102. The automotive asset 102may include asset identification information 132, such as a VIN, forexample. The VIN may be associated with various data about theautomotive asset 102, such as make, model, color, etc., which may alsobe stored in the cloud 108. The passive transmitter tag 130 may includeunique identification information, such as a serial number. The passivetransmitter tag 130 and asset identification information 132 may bescanned by a scanner 134, which may associate the asset identificationinformation 132 with the unique identification information of thepassive transmitter tag 130 within the location management system on thecloud 108.

In some embodiments, the location management system begins when themanufacturer finishes manufacturing and/or preparing the automotiveasset 102. During the finishing, the manufacturer may apply passivetransmitter tag 130 to the automotive asset 102. The manufacturer or acomputer automatically codes or programs the passive transmitter tag 130to include asset identifying information, such as a VIN, to the signalthat is to be transmitted by the passive transmitter tag 130. In someembodiments, the programming of the passive transmitter tag 130 may beaccomplished by scanning the passive transmitter tag 130 with thescanner 134. The scanning of the VIN and the passive transmitter tag 130associates the two together, and the associated information may betransferred from the scanner 134 to a central cloud server 108 havingprogram logic and a non-transitory storage medium having instructionsencoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors performoperations to identify and track the geolocation of the automotive asset102. The central cloud server 108 may store the automotive asset 102information in a format configured to easily recall and obtaininformation therefrom for later use. Furthermore, the passivetransmitter tag 130 may geolocate its position based on a GPS device andmay provide the geolocation to central cloud server 108.

In some embodiments, the passive transmitter tag 130 may be an RFID chipor tag. For example, the passive transmitter tag 130 may use the AIAGGS1 GRAI 96 RFID Tag Standard, which is flexible and allows for add-onfunctionality. Other transmitters associated with identifyinginformation of the automotive asset 102 are also possible. The scanningdevices 104 may be fixed RFID transceivers and/or portals, including oneRFID reader and at least two antennas per portal. Alternatively, thescanning devices 104 may each include a single antenna. The handheldscanner 106 may be a handheld mobile computer with a global positioningsystem (GPS) and a mobile RFID data capture device tethered together toproduce simultaneous tag and latitude/longitude reads. Barcode scannersmay be installed near an assembly line of the manufacturing facility 110to associate RFID tags to VIN tags. Saturated plant Wi-Fi may beutilized to pass RFID tag and VIN associations to the database of thelocation management system. For vehicle assets 102, RFID tags may beinstalled on the windshield or near the bumper (e.g., one per vehicle).Cellular modems may be used for all fixed RFID portals that are outsideof the manufacturing plant 110 or away from the plant network. Batterypacks or solar powered batteries may be used for all fixed portals 104that are not located near available AC power.

In some embodiments, the system may include encoding logic configured toassociate the passive transmitter tag 130 with asset identificationinformation, such as a VIN or a serial number. In some embodiments, thepassive transmitter tag 130 may be associated with GPS coordinates toallow the system to store the geolocation of the passive transmitter tag130 connected to the automotive asset 102 at any given time. Forexample, if the passive transmitter tag 130 is an RFID tag, and theautomotive asset 102 is a vehicle in a manufacturing plant 110, thepassive transmitter tag 130 may be attached to the vehicle andassociated with the VIN of the vehicle, and a GPS device may calculatethe location of the vehicle within the interior of the manufacturingplant 110.

In some embodiments, as the automotive asset 102 travels along thepathway, the passive transmitter tag 130 may transmit signals associatedwith the asset identification information 132 of the automotive asset102 and its GPS determined location. Thus, the scanning device 104 maybe able to determine the location and directional movement of theautomotive asset 102 along the pathway.

In some embodiments, a secondary facility may be positioned along thepathway downstream from the manufacturing plant 110. The secondaryfacility may be a logistics facility. The location management system maydetermine what logistical information will be implemented to effectuatethe delivery of the automotive asset 102 to an end destination, which isdownstream from the manufacturing plant 110. A scanning device 104 maybe positioned along the pathway near the secondary facility. Thescanning device 104 may be located either within the interior of thesecondary facility or outside of the secondary facility. In eachinstance, the scanning device 104 may receive transmitted informationfrom the passive transmitter tag 130 on the automotive asset 102. Thescanning device 104 may transmit the information about the automotiveasset 102, including GPS-based geolocation, to a central cloud server108, which may be coupled to a non-transitory storage medium.

In some embodiments, the testing facility 112 may be positioned alongthe pathway downstream from the manufacturing plant 110. In otherembodiments, the testing facility 112 may be downstream from thesecondary facility. The testing facility 112 may be configured to testthe quality of the automotive asset 102 against a set of standards thatmay be set by either the manufacturer or a government entity. Forexample, in the example of a vehicle as the automotive asset 102, thequality of the vehicle may be required to meet certain companystandards, as well as governmental standards, such as emissions ratings,crash ratings, other safety standards, or the like. A scanning device104 may be positioned along the pathway near the testing facility 112.The scanning device 104 may be located either within the interior of thetesting facility 112 or outside of the testing facility 112. In eachinstance, the scanning device 104 may receive transmitted informationfrom the passive transmitter tag 130 on the automotive asset 102. Thescanning device 104 may transmit the information about the automotiveasset 102, including GPS-based geolocation, to a central cloud server108, which may be coupled to a non-transitory storage medium.

In some embodiments, a repair facility may be located along a portion ofthe pathway. In the event that the testing facility 112 determines thatthe automotive asset 102 fails to meet initial quality standards basedon the test track results, such as if the emissions requirements are notmet or if the engine performance thresholds are not met, then theautomotive asset 102 may be sent to the repair facility for repair.Within the repair facility, the automotive asset 102 may be repaired tobring it up to acceptable standards. Then, the automotive asset 102 maybe sent back to the testing facility 112 to be re-tested against the setof thresholds. If the automotive asset 102 does not pass the test, thenit is sent back to the repair facility. This process is repeated untilthe automotive asset 102 passes the tests. Once all the tests have beensuccessfully passed, the automotive asset 102 continues along thepathway.

In some embodiments, an overflow repair facility may be positioned alongthe pathway. The overflow repair facility may be configured to repairthe automotive asset 102 in response to a notification that theautomotive asset 102 does not meet desired quality or standards duringthe manufacturing process in the manufacturing plant 110.

In some embodiments, a pay point station or facility may be locateddownstream from the testing facility 112. The pay point facility mayinclude a plurality of bays configured to at least temporarily store theautomotive asset 102. The pay point station may capture and record eventinformation pertaining to the automotive asset 102. A scanning device104 may be positioned along the pathway near the pay point station. Thescanning device 104 may be located either within the interior of the paypoint station or outside of the pay point station. In each instance, thescanning device 104 may receive transmitted information from the passivetransmitter tag 130 on the automotive asset 102. The scanning device 104may transmit the information about the automotive asset 102, includingGPS-based geolocation, to a central cloud server 108, which may becoupled to a non-transitory storage medium.

In some embodiments, a checkpoint 116 may be downstream from the paypoint station along the pathway. The checkpoint 116 may be a choke pointin a road where the automotive assets 102 pass along while moving alongthe pathway. The checkpoint 116 may be a raised portion of a road suchthat all the checkpoint 116 must be driven “over the hill.” A scanningdevice 104 may be positioned along the pathway near the checkpoint 116.In some embodiments, the scanning device 104 may be installed beneaththe road surface such that when the automotive asset 102 passes “overthe hill” or otherwise moves along near the scanning device 104, thepassive transmitter tag 130 passes the asset identification information132 to the central cloud server 108 to indicate that the automotiveasset 102 is moving along the pathway through the checkpoint 116 andtowards the designated storage lots. In other embodiments, the scanningdevice 104 may be located either within the interior of the checkpoint116 or outside of the checkpoint 116. In each instance, the scanningdevice 104 may receive transmitted information from the passivetransmitter tag 130 on the automotive asset 102. The scanning device 104may transmit the information about the automotive asset 102, includingGPS-based geolocation, to a central cloud server 108, which may becoupled to a non-transitory storage medium.

The tracking logic of location management system may determine that theautomotive asset 102 is being placed into the a designated storage lot(e.g., Lot E 128) and whether automotive asset 102 is to be put into thequeue for being hauled away via transportation truck or whether theautomotive asset 102 is to be railed away via train.

The designated storage lot may also be referred to an inventory lot orqueue. The designated storage lot may be along the pathway downstreamfrom the checkpoint 116. In some embodiments, the designated storage lotmay be a parking lot that is distinct and separate from themanufacturing plant 110. If the automotive assets 102 are vehicles, thedesignated storage lot may be sized to store vehicles within parkingspots painted atop a ground surface or paved surface. The designatedstorage lot may be further sized to enable an operator to traverse thedesignated storage lot with the handheld scanner 106. An operator oremployee of the operator may walk the lot or may ride the lot in a golfcart or other similar people moving cart. In some embodiments, thehandheld scanner 106 may be a handheld RFID scanner. The handheld RFIDscanner may capture and transmit the current location of the automotiveasset 102 to a central cloud server 108. Alternatively, the handheldRFID scanner may record the vehicle location to an internal memory onthe handheld RFID scanner for later transmission into the central cloudserver 108. In some embodiments, the handheld RFID scanner may alsodetermine which “spot” the vehicle is located in based on the GPScoordinates that are associated with the passive transmitter tag 130.For example, a first vehicle having a first transmitter may be read fromthe RFID scanner to indicate that the first vehicle is located in spotA-21 associated with a first GPS-based geolocation. A second vehiclehaving a second transmitter may be read from the RFID scanner toindicate that the second vehicle is located in spot A-22 associated witha second GPS-based geolocation. A third vehicle having a thirdtransmitter may be read from the RFID scanner to indicate that the thirdvehicle is located in spot A-23 associated with a third GPS-basedgeolocation. A fourth vehicle having a fourth transmitter may be readfrom the RFID scanner to indicate that the fourth vehicle is located inspot A-24 associated with a fourth GPS-based geolocation. A fifthvehicle having a fifth transmitter may be read from the RFID scanner toindicate that the fifth vehicle is located in spot A-25 associated witha fifth GPS-based geolocation.

An overflow inventory area may be located adjacent the “inventory” orstorage lot. The overflow inventory area may be a designated regionwhere automotive assets 102 are scanned with high-power handheldscanners 106 or equivalents by an operator or employee. The overflowinventory area may be configured to store automotive assets 102, such asvehicles, that are in excess to the storage capacity of the designatedstorage lot. The overflow area may be selectively filled when thedesignated storage lot is full, otherwise, the overflow area may not beutilized.

In some embodiments, downstream along the pathway from the designatedstorage lot may be a truck away area, Lot D 126, and a rail away area,Lot C 124. The truck away area, Lot D 126, and the rail away area, Lot C124, may be designated regions where automotive assets 102 carryingindividual respective passive transmitter tags 130 may be scanned withthe handheld scanner 106, such as a handheld RFID scanner. The handheldscanner 106 may capture identifying information, including GPS-basedgeolocation coordinates. In some embodiments, the truck away area, Lot D126, and the rail away area, Lot C 124, may permit users to walk indefined areas to obtain the identifying information when the user iswithin about 5 ft. of the automotive asset 102 or within about 10 ft. ofthe passive transmitter tag 130 affixed to the automotive asset 102.

The truck away area, Lot D 126, may be closely adjacent the designatedstorage lot and in one embodiment may simply be a region within thedesignated storage lot. In other embodiments, the truck away area, Lot D126, may have parking spots drawn on the surface thereof. Thegeolocation of each parking spot within the truck away area, Lot D 126,may be pre-uploaded into the central cloud server 108. This may enablethe central cloud server 108 to determine which spot the automotiveasset 102 is within in the truck away area, Lot D 126, when an operatorscans the passive transmitter tag 130 with the handheld scanner 106.

With continued reference to the truck away area, Lot D 126, a truckdriver operating a tractor trailer may enter the truck away area, Lot D126, with instructions, such as a work order or purchase order, to pickup a certain automotive asset 102. By way of example, in previouscircumstances, a work order may have indicated to pick up a black NISSANALTIMA having VIN123456789. However, when the truck driver was in thetruck away area, Lot D 126, it was difficult to find the exact vehicle.Thus, the truck driver may accidentally load a black NISSAN ALTIMAhaving VIN 987654321 onto the tractor trailer. Thus, the end user (e.g.,a NISSAN car dealership) may have received the incorrect order (althoughit could be similar because it was still a black NISSAN ALTIMA, but thewrong VIN). The location management system may eliminate these types oferrors amongst other advantages.

Inasmuch as the location management system may associate GPS coordinatesfrom the GPS device with the passive transmitter tag 130, when theautomotive asset 102 (e.g., a NISSAN ALTIMA) is transported to the truckaway area, Lot D 126, the central cloud server 108 may know the exactspot, in which the vehicle is positioned. Thus, the truck driver may nowbe given the work order that says to load a black NISSAN ALTIMA havingVIN 123456789 located in an exact location, such as first spot A-21, orthe like. This may ensure that the downstream end destination, such asthe NISSAN dealership, receives the proper ordered automotive asset 102.

A guard shack may be located near the exit of the truck away area, Lot D126. In some embodiments, another handheld scanner 106 may be utilizedto scan the passive transmitter tag 130 on the automotive asset 102 thatis being removed from the truck away area, Lot D 126. Alternatively,another fixed scanning device 104 may be installed near the guard shackto scan and capture information from the passive transmitter tag 130 onthe automotive asset 102 as it is being hauled away.

In some embodiments, an automotive asset 102 may be positioned in thetruck away area, Lot D 126. When a truck driver needs to pick up theautomotive asset 102 from the truck away area, Lot D 126, themanufacturer or plant property owner may provide a list of parking spotlocations to the truck driver. The parking lot locations of theautomotive assets 102 may have been previously created and stored in thedatabase using the GPS-based geolocation coordinates registered againstthe previously surveyed parking lot spaces. By providing the truckdriver with the exact spot of the automotive asset 102 that he needs topick up and load onto the truck, the location management system mayeliminate any guess work by the driver as to which automotive asset 102is to be picked up and delivered to an end customer (e.g., a cardealership). The location management system may also provide the truckdriver with the quadrant, within which the automotive asset 102 islocated to further assist the driver with finding the spot location morequickly. After the correct automotive asset 102 is loaded onto the truckbased on the known parking spot number provided to the truck driver,another handheld scanner 106 may read the passive transmitter tag 130 onthe truck exiting the truck away area, Lot D 126, when passing the guardshack.

The rail away area, Lot C 124, may be located closely adjacent thedesignated storage lot. In some embodiments, the rail away area, Lot C124, may be located within the designated storage lot. A scanning device104 may be installed along the pathway near an exit of the rail awayarea, Lot C 124. The sixth fixed scanning device 104 may be locatedeither within the interior of the rail away area, Lot C 124, or may belocated outside of the rail away area, Lot C 124. In each instance, thescanning device 104 may receive transmitted information from the passivetransmitter tag 130 on the automotive asset 102. The scanning device 104may transmit the information about the automotive asset 102, includingGPS-based geolocation, to a central cloud server 108, which may becoupled to a non-transitory storage medium.

A train on a rail may be located near the exit of the rail away area,Lot C 124. A train engineer, driver, or other train personnel may have awork order which indicates the exact item to be loaded onto the trainand its exact geolocation within the rail away area, Lot C 124. Thisensures that the person loading the automotive asset 102 onto the traindoes not accidentally load the wrong automotive asset 102.

In some embodiments, an automotive asset 102 may be positioned in therail away area, Lot C 124. When a train engineer or other train workingneeds to pick up the automotive asset 102 from the rail away area, Lot C124, the manufacturer or plant property owner may provide a list ofparking spot locations to the train operator or worker. The parking lotlocations of the automotive assets 102 may have been previously createdand stored in the database based on the GPS-based geolocationcoordinates registered against the previously surveyed parking lotspaces. By providing the train worker with the exact spot of theautomotive asset 102 that he needs to pick up and load onto the train,the location management system may eliminate any guess work by the trainworker as to which automotive asset 102 is to be picked up and deliveredto an end customer (e.g., a car dealership). The location managementsystem may also provide the train driver with the quadrant, within whichthe automotive asset 102 is located to further assist the train employeeor worker with finding the spot location more quickly. After the correctautomotive asset 102 is loaded onto the train based on the known parkingspot number provided to the train worker, another handheld scanner 106may read the passive transmitter tag 130 on the automotive asset 102exiting the rail away area, Lot C 124.

In designated regions and/or areas with physical locations within ornearly outside the facility compound 100, a handheld scanner 106 may beused by an operator to capture information from the passive transmittertag 130 on the automotive asset 102. For example, the handheld scanner106 may be an RFID scanner that scans and captures information from anRFID tag on a vehicle. The handheld scanner 106 may also captureserialized information from the passive transmitter tag 130 that isencoded with asset identifying information. The central cloud server 108may sync or otherwise marry the asset identifying information (e.g.,VIN) with GPS-based geolocation coordinates to establish a preciselocation of the automotive asset 102 and record and store the same in amemory of the central cloud server 108.

As automotive assets 102 are scanned throughout the designated regionsof the facility compound 100, the following SQL code may be used toallocate each automotive asset 102 into a designated area (e.g., parkingspace):

select top 1 ps.PSpot_id,  pl.PLocation_id, pl.Parent_facility_id fromParkingSpot ps  join ParkingArea pa on ps.PArea_id =  pa.PArea_id  joinParkingLocation pl on pa.PLocation_id =  pl.PLocation_id order by  (acos( sin(C_RadLatitude) sin(@RadLat) +  cos(C_RadLatitude) cos(@RadLat) cos(@RadLong − C_RadLongitude) )

As shown in FIG. 5 , the location management system may include softwareand/or other applications to be run on a computer or mobile device. Forexample, the system may include a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium having instructions encoded thereon, that when executedby one or more processors (which may also be referred to as “trackinglogic”) track the location of the automotive asset 102 relative to themanufacturing plant 110 and the designated regions and/or areas.

The location management system software may allow a user to search thedatabase stored on the cloud server 108 for asset identificationinformation 132 and/or unique identification information of the passivetransmitter tag 130 via a user interface. For example, the device 204 incommunication with the location management system may import, scan, orotherwise receive input of the VIN 210 and/or RFID serial number 212 foran automotive asset 102. The location management system software may thequery the database for the location or other information about the givenautomotive asset 102. In response, the location management systemsoftware may display the location information for the automotive asset102. For example, the mobile app may display the designated regionand/or area 214 associated with the automotive asset 102. Additionally,the location management system app may include a map rendering module,which may display a map 200 of the relevant facility compound associatedwith the automotive asset 102. The map 200 may include a representation202 of the automotive asset 102 indicating the location of theautomotive asset 102 within the map. Additionally, the map 200 maydisplay a visual indication of the designated region 208, in which theautomotive asset 102 is located. Further, the map 200 may includerelative direction information 206 that indicates to the user thedistance and direction of the automotive asset 102, based on thelocation information of both the user and the automotive asset 102.Alternatively, the relative direction information 206 may be based onthe location information for a designated starting point rather than theuser's current location. This may allow a copy of the map 200 to beeasily shared with others, such as a transporter, who may be located ata truck lot or entrance.

Software functionality may be available in Container OptimizationSolutions (COS) software. The COS software may be a web-basedapplication. An instance of COS may be customized for the manufacturingfacility to add extra functionality, however there are several areasthat may be turnkey and available without further development. Thesystem may use Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) or RepresentationalState Transfer (REST) web services to integrate with customers as theyare scalable and easily deployed but are open to other methods and haveexperience with the same. In some embodiments, users may view vehiclelocation information and produce reports via the COS software.Additionally, the system may pass vehicle location data, including VINsand current location to the tracking solution.

Legacy or existing light posts or the like may be labeled throughout thefacility compound 100 to give employees and others visual cues of thedesignated area boundaries. In some embodiments, to find a vehicleparked in a certain designated area or anywhere in the facility compound100, users may be able to utilize a seek and find feature on a handhelddevice to locate the vehicle. This may operate like a metal detector,for example, that starts making an audible noise more frequently whenthe user is near the vehicle, for which they are searching.Alternatively, the handheld device 204 may indicate to the employee thespot, in which the vehicle is parked.

In some embodiments, the GPS-based geolocation coordinates may be usedby the central cloud server 108 or another processor to query themanufacturer's database to determine the exact location of theautomotive asset 102 within either the designated storage lot, the railaway area, Lot C 124, or the truck away area, Lot D 126. The coordinatesmay also be associated with the specific parking spots so as to allowusers to know a spot location of the automotive asset 102. In someembodiments, associating the parking spot with the passive transmittertag 130 may be accomplished by cross-referencing at least one readattribute with survey data captured by an installer during a pre-launchvisit/survey of the facility compound 100.

The survey data may be gathered in accordance with known methods ortools implementing surveying methods such as a cosmolabe, a dioptra, atheodolite, a half theodolite, a plain theodolite, a simple theodolite,a great theodolite, a non-transit theodolite, a transit theodolite, aseconds theodolite, a electronic theodolite, a mining theodolite, asuspension theodolite, a traveling theodolite, a pibal theodolite, aregistering theodolite, a gyro-theodolite, a construction theodolite, aphoto-theodolite, a robotic theodolite, a vernier theodolite, atachymeter (surveying), a graphometer, a universal instrument(surveying), a rransit (surveying), a total station, an alidade, analidade table, a plane table, a dumpy level, a tape (surveying), ameasuring tape, a surveyor's chain, an engineer's chain, one or moreramsden surveying instruments, and/or a ranging rod. In someembodiments, the installer of system obtains hundreds, thousands, ortens of thousands of surveying readings using some of the aforementionedsurveying tools to map the entire facility compound 100 into generalizedand finite locations such as parking spot A-21 or a “put away location.”During the survey of the facility compound 100, existing legacyfixtures, such as lamp posts may be utilized to divide areas in to aplurality of different quadrants.

In some embodiments, to facilitate vehicle location data specific to theparking space, the setup of the facility compound 100 may includeconducting a survey and plotting the GPS latitude and longitudecoordinates of each parking space, as well as all other designated areasthat will be used to specifically track vehicle location. Overflow andrepair areas may utilize a designated regions approach, in which theproperty is divided into 50 ft.×50 ft. quadrants, for example. Thecurrent location of vehicles in these areas may be available at aquadrant level (e.g., “VIN 2313432123412312 is currently inRepair—Quadrant 10”).

The survey plots may be inlaid with a geographic view of the facilitycompound 100 obtained from satellite imagery, such as Google Earth orthe like. The location accuracy can be graphed on this same map toenable the manufacturer to see the location of the automotive asset 102based on GPS-based geolocation of the automotive asset 102 representedin the computer generated projection map registered with satelliteimagery. Similarly, users may be able to see a map of the facilitycompound 100, and search for vehicles by VIN. The search may return thelocation of the automotive asset 102 as last reported via scan.

Within some designated regions (e.g., repair lot 114), facility vehicles(such as golf carts, people movers, or the like) transport employeescarrying handheld scanners 106. The handheld scanners 106 may receivetransmitted information from the passive transmitter tag 130 on theautomotive asset 102 (such as the automobile in the overflow repairfacility). In some embodiments, employees may walk the designatedregions with an RFID handheld reader that is deliberately configuredwith low power. Using this RFID handheld, the user may be able read andobtain tag data from all vehicles parked in these designated areas ofthe facility compound 100. The low-power handheld scanner may requirethe user to get within about 3-4 ft. of the passive transmitter tag 130to be able to read it. In some embodiments, the proximity of thehandheld scanners 106 to passive transmitter tag 130 may allow thesystem to capture the current GPS coordinates of the read, which maypassed to the database at a level of granularity capable of producingparking lot-specific location within about 3 m.

In other embodiments, vehicle location in designated overflow and repairareas may be recorded at a quadrant level. The size of each quadrant andthe number of total quadrants to be incorporated may be based on thesize of the facility compound 100. This approach may allow employees toutilize a handheld signal scanner 106 (i.e., a transceiver) with ahigher RFID signal or power setting. The higher power setting may enablea user to get within about 20-25 ft. of the vehicle and acquire tagreads from a moving vehicle at a rate of speed typically associated witha golf cart or other people moving vehicle. In some embodiments, passivetransmitter tags 130 may be read from about 10 ft. away by high-powerscanners 106 at speeds up to about 60 mph.

The location accuracy provided as part of the system may be specific tothe classification of the area. In some cases, users may be able to seea map of the facility compound 100, and search for vehicles by VIN, forexample. The search may return the location of the vehicle as lastreported via scan.

Some variations in location accuracy may be provided minimize the needfor human intervention. For example, vehicle location in the inventoryand truck away and rail away areas may be provided at a parkingspace-specific level within about 3 m, for example. Tag data in certainareas may be acquired utilizing high-power readers, and other areas mayutilize low-power units. Still other areas may utilize fixed portals.

Two different RFID data capture devices may be leveraged to accomplishthe system objectives. All location data may be captured utilizing RFIDhandheld or mobile devices. Milestone data may be captured using RFIDfixed portals installed at choke and exit points. In both methodologies,vehicles may be tagged with a RFID tag and have the tag number and VINassociation uploaded to the cloud database, to create a systematicunderstanding of what tag number is associated with what vehicle. A scanmay be required during the assembly process that marries the RFID tagplaced on the vehicle's bumper or the like and that same vehicle's VIN,via a bar code scan of each.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the location management system may include trackingdata across a set of multiple facilities 300. For example, automotiveassets 302 may be tracked between an OEM's plant 310, a remote warehouse320, and a tier supplier's facilities 330. The facilities 310, 320, 330may include fixed scanners 304 at the ingresses and egresses. As atagged asset 302 approaches or departs from a fixed scanner 304, thelocation management system may automatically update the location and/orstatus of the tagged asset 302 in the cloud 308. For example, the fixedscanner 304 may detect that a tagged asset 302 is moving in thedirection away from the warehouse facility 320, so the locationmanagement system may automatically update the status of the automotiveasset 302 to “En Route” or “In Transit”. Additionally, before leavingthe warehouse facility 320, the location management system may beupdated to include the destination information about the automotiveasset 302.

At the time of transport, an automotive asset 302 may be associated withthe identifying information for the transport vehicle and/or a devicewithin the transport vehicle that may be in communication with thelocation management system (e.g., cell phone, tablet, other mobiledevice). In this way, the location management system may be updated withthe real-time location information of the automotive asset 302 withinthe cargo of the transport vehicle while en route. Advantageously, thismay allow the location management system to predict arrival times and/ortrack delays for the automotive assets 302, providing the system withinformation in time to respond and plan accordingly. For example, ashipment of automotive assets 302 may be diverted to another destinationin response to another delayed shipment.

The various facilities 310, 320, 330 may each have differing levels ofaccess to location and other data about the automotive assets 302. TheOEMs, suppliers, and other logistics management system users may havevaried access to the collected data resident on the centralizedintegration and analytics platform, as well as various analytics thatmay be applied to the collected data at this layer. This varied accessmay be selective and by permission. Thus, the present disclosureprovides a common platform that may aggregate, compile, and provideinformational visibility of sensor-based data from automotive assets 302and/or associated environmental, carrier, and facility peripheraldevices, to participating entities as privileged and permissioned by theusers and their agents as acquired through the common supply-chain datacapture points, nodes, and/or hubs. Some categories of the dataavailable in the logistics management system cloud may include real-timelocation, relative velocities, acceleration, impact forces, and/oranalytical statistics associated with the movement of automotive assets302, parts, and other supply-chain support components. Thisinformational logistics ecosystem may enable end-to-end visibilitythrough data collection and authorized sharing and/or distribution. As anon-limiting example, the sensor data collection points and/or tagreaders may be programmed as part of the logistics management system totrigger statistical calculations for compiled analytics and/or datasharing events, such as alert messages to selected users and/or systemcontrollers. This data system automation may be customized to particularinteractive collection points/hubs, users, authorization levels, and/orlimits/thresholds (e.g., time, geolocation, velocity, acceleration,impact, calculated statistics). Information available to a supplier mayinclude, but is not limited to, supplier inventory data, inbound andoutbound dock door portal transaction data at the supplier's location,inbound and outbound dock door portal transaction data at a crossdock/logistics center, and inbound and outbound dock door portaltransaction data at the OEM.

Further, the logistics management system's tiered suppliers and/or otherusers may participate in supply-chain visibility through the selectionof various participation methodologies approved by a data ecosystemgovernance committee and application, for example, while aggregatestatistical data in a common database may be extensible to the allsystem participants. This data access management may be provided througha reduced-cost cloud-based integration and analytics platform to addressissues and provide commonality to a mass-collective of OEMs andsuppliers.

In some embodiments, the automotive assets 302 may be containers. Forexample, the automotive assets 302 may be reusable RFID containers thatinteract with transaction data collection points provided by the fixedscanners 304. The supply-chain data may be collected from tagged assets(inbound and outbound) at multiple RFID portals/RFID handheldsassociated with multiple OEMs, suppliers, warehouses, etc. Thesupply-chain data may include information about the contents, particularparts, part numbers, serial numbers, UPC codes, weights, quantities,materials/hazards, origins/destinations, times of arrivals/departures,correlated time and location data, security, authorizedcarriers/recipients, expiration dates, storage temperatures, prices,purchase orders, related shipment containers, and/or dimensions. Thisdata may be collected at secure local layers and transmitted to acentralized integration and analytics platform in the cloud 308. Thecentralized integration and analytics platform may operate at a secureapplication layer, ensuring database layer integrity. Tagging and datacollection, or reading and writing information to electronic tags onreusable RFID containers, may conform with group-accepted standards.

The reusable RFID containers may include RFID and/or other types of datatags that include unique identifying information about each containeritself. The data tags may be programmed to store data related to theparticular contents of each container. Additionally, the stored data inthe data tags may include identifying information about relatedcontainers associated with the same shipment or entity. This programmingmay occur at any of the data collection points/nodes, provided theprogrammer has read/write authorization. Otherwise, the stored data maybe read-only to the tag reader, but may trigger other write events, suchas to a networked hub of the logistics management system. For example,attempts to re-program the tag of a reusable RFID container by anunauthorized user may trigger a data write entry within a log file,while other stored data within the data tag remains unchanged. The datatags may be removable or integrated into the containers, shipmentlabels, and/or pallets used with the logistics management system.

In some embodiments, the location management system may track thelocation of any reusable RFID containers and their status as empty orfull of contents. While the location of a particular empty container atthe OEM's or other user's facility may not be visible to a supplier, thesystem may provide the supplier with the information that an emptycontainer is available within a certain distance range and/or may bescheduled to be delivered within a certain time range, such that thesupplier may request empty reusable RFID containers for the return orreplacement of parts. Additionally or alternatively, the logisticsmanagement system may automatically schedule the pick-up and delivery ofempty containers based on a return or replacement request from thesupplier. The logistics management system may utilize information, suchas known route schedules, cargo manifests, weight and spacerestrictions, and/or the location of empty containers, for example, tooptimize pick-up and delivery schedules automatically. The system mayalso utilize automatically and/or manually uploaded user and/or sensordata to reschedule and/or reroute container shipments in real-time. Thelogistics management system may make automatic changes to shipmentsand/or may suggest recalculated changes, which may be approved ordisregarded by users. Similarly, users may override automated orscheduled shipments provided by the logistics management system, whichmay recalculate shipment data in response to any override. Users maymanually update the empty or full status of reusable RFID containers atloading/unloading. Additionally or alternatively, the reusable RFIDcontainers may include sensors indicating open or closed status of thecontainer and/or otherwise detect the presence of contents within thecontainer, which may trigger a data upload or status update with thecentral hub or cloud of the logistics management system.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the location management system may store data in atable 400, accessible via a computer and/or mobile device 404. The table400 may be displayed to a user on a dynamic user interface and mayinclude information such as: unique identification information 410 forthe passive transmitter tag, asset identification information 412,facility location information 414, arrival information 416, previousfacility location information 418, departure information 420,transportation information 422, designated region information 424,designated area information 426, latitude information 428, longitudeinformation 430, time and date information of the last scan 432, and/orother information. The data displayed in the table 400 may be manuallyeditable for updating the location management system based on apermissions level.

“Logic”, as used herein, includes but is not limited to hardware,firmware, software and/or combinations of each to perform a function(s)or an action(s), and/or to cause a function or action from anotherlogic, method, and/or system. For example, based on a desiredapplication or needs, logic may include a software controlledmicroprocessor, discrete logic like a processor (e.g., microprocessor),an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmed logicdevice, a memory device containing instructions, an electric devicehaving a memory, or the like. Logic may include one or more gates,combinations of gates, or other circuit components. Logic may also befully embodied as software. Where multiple logics are described, it maybe possible to incorporate the multiple logics into one physical logic.Similarly, where a single logic is described, it may be possible todistribute that single logic between multiple physical logics.

Furthermore, the logic(s) presented herein for accomplishing variousmethods of this system may be directed towards improvements in existingcomputer-centric or internet-centric technology that may not haveprevious analog versions. The logic(s) may provide specificfunctionality directly related to structure that addresses and resolvessome problems identified herein. The logic(s) may also providesignificantly more advantages to solve these problems by providing anexemplary inventive concept as specific logic structure and concordantfunctionality of the method and system. Furthermore, the logic(s) mayalso provide specific computer implemented rules that improve onexisting technological processes. The logic(s) provided herein extendsbeyond merely gathering data, analyzing the information, and displayingthe results.

The above-described embodiments can be implemented in any of numerousways. For example, embodiments of technology disclosed herein may beimplemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Whenimplemented in software, the software code can be executed on anysuitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in asingle computer or distributed among multiple computers.

Further, it should be appreciated that a computer may be embodied in anyof a number of forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. Additionally, acomputer may be embedded in a device not generally regarded as acomputer but with suitable processing capabilities, including a PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone or any other suitable portable orfixed electronic device.

Also, a computer may have one or more input and output devices. Thesedevices can be used, among other things, to present a user interface.Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interfaceinclude printers or display screens for visual presentation of outputand speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentationof output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a userinterface include keyboards, and pointing devices, such as mice, touchpads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a computer may receiveinput information through speech recognition or in other audible format.

Such computers may be interconnected by one or more networks in anysuitable form, including a local area network or a wide area network,such as an enterprise network, and intelligent network (IN) or theInternet. Such networks may be based on any suitable technology and mayoperate according to any suitable protocol and may include wirelessnetworks, wired networks or fiber optic networks.

The various methods or processes (e.g., of designing and making thecoupling structures and diffractive optical elements disclosed above)outlined herein may be coded as software that is executable on one ormore processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems orplatforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of anumber of suitable programming languages and/or programming or scriptingtools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code orintermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine.

In this respect, various inventive concepts may be embodied as anon-transitory computer readable storage medium (or multiple computerreadable storage media) (e.g., a computer memory, one or more floppydiscs, compact discs, optical discs, magnetic tapes, flash memories,circuit configurations in Field Programmable Gate Arrays or othersemiconductor devices, or other non-transitory medium or tangiblecomputer storage medium) encoded with one or more programs that, whenexecuted on one or more computers or other processors, perform methodsthat implement the various embodiments of the present disclosurediscussed above. The computer readable medium or media can betransportable, such that the program or programs stored thereon can beloaded onto one or more different computers or other processors toimplement various aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above.

The terms “program” or “software” are used herein in a generic sense torefer to any type of computer code or set of computer-executableinstructions that can be employed to program a computer or otherprocessor to implement various aspects of embodiments as discussedabove. Additionally, it should be appreciated that according to oneaspect, one or more computer programs that when executed perform methodsof the present disclosure need not reside on a single computer orprocessor, but may be distributed in a modular fashion amongst a numberof different computers or processors to implement various aspects of thepresent disclosure.

Computer-executable instructions may be in many forms, such as programmodules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally,program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, datastructures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particularabstract data types. Typically the functionality of the program modulesmay be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

Also, data structures may be stored in computer-readable media in anysuitable form. For simplicity of illustration, data structures may beshown to have fields that are related through location in the datastructure. Such relationships may likewise be achieved by assigningstorage for the fields with locations in a computer-readable medium thatconvey relationship between the fields. However, any suitable mechanismmay be used to establish a relationship between information in fields ofa data structure, including through the use of pointers, tags or othermechanisms that establish relationship between data elements.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued. Moreover, the description and illustration of the preferredembodiment of the disclosure are an example and the disclosure is notlimited to the exact details shown or described.

Although disclosed systems and methods are illustrated and describedherein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examplesthereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in theart that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functionsand/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments andexamples are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure andare contemplated thereby.

1.-21. (canceled)
 22. An automotive asset management system comprising:a database in which location information to a plurality of designatedregions is assigned, the location information defining a perimeteraround each of the plurality of designed regions; wherein in thedatabase, unique location information is assigned to a plurality ofdesignated areas nested within at least one designated region of theplurality of designated regions, each of the plurality of designatedareas sized to receive a singular automotive asset therein; a scannerconfigured to scan a passive transmitter tag affixed to the automotiveasset during arrangement of the automotive asset within one designatedregion of the plurality of designated regions, wherein the passivetransmitter tag has unique identification information, and the scanneris configured to scan from a perspective of a fixed scan pointassociated with the one designated region, the fixed scan point beingone of a plurality of fixed scan points, each of the plurality of fixedscan points being associated with one of the plurality of designatedregions; wherein in the database, the unique identification informationobtained from the scanned passive transmitter tag is associated with theone designated region based on which of the plurality of fixed scanpoints is associated with the scan of the passive transmitter tag; and amobile scanner configured to subsequently automatically scan the passivetransmitter tag affixed to the automotive asset once the automotiveasset is within a scanning range of the mobile scanner to obtainlocation information of the mobile scanner at a time the passivetransmitter is scanned; wherein, in the database, the automotive assetis associated with the designated area by a cross reference of thelocation information of the mobile scanner with the unique locationinformation of the plurality of designated areas; and the database issearchable using information regarding the automotive asset.
 23. Theautomotive asset management system of claim 22, wherein the locationinformation of the plurality of designated regions, the unique locationinformation of the plurality of designated areas, and the locationinformation of the mobile scanner each includes latitude and longitudeinformation.
 24. The automotive asset management system of claim 22,wherein the unique identification information is associated with the onedesignated region based on the fixed scan point with respect to theperimeter of the one designated area defined by the location informationthereof.
 25. The automotive asset management system of claim 22, whereinthe unique identification information obtained from the passivetransmitter tag is associated with the one designated region by beingstored in a table of the database.
 26. The automotive asset managementsystem of claim 22, wherein the unique identification informationobtained from the passive transmitter tag is associated with the onedesignated region by being uploaded to the database which is stored in acloud server.
 27. The automotive asset management system of claim 22,wherein the automotive asset is a vehicle.
 28. The automotive assetmanagement system of claim 22, wherein the automotive asset is acontainer for automobile parts.
 29. The automotive asset managementsystem of claim 22, wherein the container is reusable.
 30. Theautomotive asset management system of claim 22, wherein the scannerconfigured to scan the passive transmitter tag affixed to the automotiveasset from the perspective of the fixed scan point includes a portabletransceiver configured to obtain the unique identification informationfrom the passive transmitter tag.
 31. The automotive asset managementsystem of claim 30, wherein the portable transceiver is a handheldscanner.
 32. The automotive asset management system of claim 22, whereinthe scanner is configured to scan the passive transmitter tag with arelative velocity of up to about 60 mph (approximately 97 km/h) betweenthe fixed scan point and the passive transmitter tag.
 33. The automotiveasset management system of claim 22, wherein the passive transmitter tagis a radio frequency identification tag.
 34. The automotive assetmanagement system of claim 22, wherein the assignment of locationinformation to the plurality of designated regions includes the locationinformation for at least four points along the perimeter of each of theplurality of designated regions.
 35. The automotive asset managementsystem of claim 22, wherein the system is configured to determine thelocation information for a virtual central point associated, in thedatabase, with the fixed scan point of the one designated region basedon the location information for the at least four points along theperimeter of the one designated region.
 36. The automotive assetmanagement system of claim 22, wherein the fixed scan point includes afixed transceiver within the one designated region configured to scanthe passive transmitter tag when the automotive asset is near.
 37. Theautomotive asset management system of claim 22, comprising a display toshow a representation of the automotive asset on a map based on theassociated location information.
 38. The automotive asset managementsystem of claim 37, wherein the system is configured to determinedirections to the automotive asset based on a user location relative tothe automotive asset.
 39. The automotive asset management system ofclaim 22, wherein the system is configured to update a status associatedwith the automotive asset based on the association with the designatedregion.